Posts Tagged: Books and Book Reviews

This weekend will find me at Albany attending the New York State Brewers Association second annual Craft New York Brewers Festival. The most exciting thing is that it is being held at a place called The Desmond Hotel. It is exciting because I love 1960's first wave ska and, according to my notes …

I hate records. Well, I really like them. But I hate them. See, we are subject to their limitations... or at least two of them. Or three. The last one first. Finding them. For a while I have been grabbing images of maps including the sites of early breweries in Kingston. I have not seen the actual …

Tweeeeeet!!! That's it. Twenty-one entries plus this one makes twenty-two. [Update: a late entry makes 23!] That many posts were linked in the comments answering the question I posed for this month's edition of The Session: "What beer book which has yet to be written would you like to see …

I said in July my favorite review of The Unbearable Nonsense of Craft Beer was this one from Sweden. But I think it has to be this one by Jeff at Beervana today. It's not just that it is very positive but, rather than just getting it, he explains it a bit back to me. I won't copy out the money …

Jeff has written a good piece on the results to be drawn from the experience of being part of a NAGBW judging team: • We had 34 entries that were published in probably ten different publications, and they ranged from very short reviews to lengthy pieces on styles, equipment, or process. One … read more »

So far, my favourite review of The Unbearable Nonsense of Craft Beer² had been Stan's in which he asked the very apt question as to who exactly Max and I thought might buy the damn thing. Good point. But has been ever so slightly nudged into second place by this extremely long review which I can …

As we continue to witness what Donald Rumsfeld might have called an "Old Europe" approach to good beer rages on with more and more interested parties jumping into the discussion to express deep shock that a falsely founded PR mumbo jumbo cash grab that aims to make folk question beer is being …

Here's a little secret. I read Lew Bryson well before I heard of that Jack Michaelson fellow. He also influenced my approach to beer far more, as well. Here is my review from nine and a half years ago. Of the first edition. This, if I am not mistaken, is my first review of a second edition where I …

I need a new project. The writing and working and new kitten stuff is simply not enough. So when I was reading Ron Pattinson's new book The Home Brewers Guide To Vintage Beer yesterday as the six year old did not do much during a kids' basketball practice at the Y, I was struck by this passage on …

A big thanks to each buyer of The Unbearable Nonsense of Craft Beer first of all. People have been kind and honest - which is a kindness, isn't it. A few emails with longer discussions have been thoughtful, people either agreeing with the general narrative or asking why this was said or that scene …

Alan is apparently a Gen X-er who has hit 40... err...44... err... 45... YIKES... 46 ... [ZOW-WEE!!] 48... jessh, now 51... and edits and writes about other stuff at his personal website Gen X at 40. Please email Alan or any of the authors at this blog's gmail account - please write if you want to join the ranks of authors of this site or just want to send in a story on your favorite beer or photo of your regular pub.

I have moved the content of the OCB Commentary Wiki here. It is now a static document and pretty much is locked in as understandings existed as of 2012. Probably needs its own wiki to update the content! Below are the original introductory remarks:

"The purpose of this wiki is to collectively make comments, add annotation, identify errata and suggest further sources to the text of The Oxford Companion to Beer. Members are asked to avoid comment about the authors, the structure of the text or other extraneous matters. This wiki is a not for profit project that reviews the text pursuant to the concept of "fair dealing for the purpose of criticism or review" under Canadian copyright law." Alan McLeod, wiki Organizer, and chief bottle washer at A Good Beer Blog. Motto? "Many hands make pleasant work." Alan McLeod, 25 October 2011. Please provide some information about yourself when making a request to join the wiki. Anonymous requests for membership will not be approved. Overly ardent and rudely put claims to authority will be cause for removal from the membership. As of 11 January 2012, 134 entries or 12.2% of the total of 1,100 received commentary, many with multiple comments. Eight of the photos have been corrected as well. That number rose to 151 by 13 May 2012.